16 Weeks

From 16 - 20 weeks I should start feeling baby movement. John is super excited for this to happen. Every couple of days he'll put his hands on my stomach and just hold it there. I don't think you can feel the movements until much later, but I think he's just so darn cute to want to feel the baby already. I haven't felt anything inside yet, but I've read that I may confuse the first few flutters as hunger pangs. We shall see.

People have been asking me if I plan to stay at home with Bean or if I'll return to work. For now John and I have decided that I'll return to work after maternity leave. And since we both feel strongly about me nursing, it hit me that working moms can't just prance back to their job without any preparations or forethought. There is a lot of stuff I have to consider if I plan on continuing to nurse. For example, where in this grody building will I pump? How will I store Bean's bottles seperately from the refrigerator my coworkers use for their lunch? How will I clean the pump equipment? How can I prevent any embarassing accidents while at work? How can I handle maternal business as discreetly as possible? How can I keep from dying of embarassement if people find out?

Well, I don't yet have answers to all the questions, but John and I did buy a mini fridge to keep in my cubicle. I figure that will solve the storage problem. And as a result, thrust me into an awkward (for me) conversation with a male coworker about my plans to breastfeed. Ugh. As much as I so wanted to keep my intentions a secret, I knew I couldn't just throw this thing up over my shoulder and sneak it past everyone. I needed help and that meant I may have to explain a few things. Someone brought it from my car to my desk and another guy helped me set it up. Those that asked got their answer. And I'm really impressed with how well they handled the information. No one yelled "Oh God you mean you'll be doing THAT?! So gross! Hey guys...guess what?!!" I know, it's weird that I kind of expected that reaction. These people really CAN be adults from time to time. Hmmm, who knew?

Well, I am starting to wonder what it will be like to care for a newborn. How often do babies get bathed anyway? God love the internet. I found out that pediatricians recommend a bath 1 or 2 times a week so as not to overdry their delicate skin. And wipes can be used in between water-baths if needed. We can totally handle that!